Analog touchscreen methods and apparatus
A computer implemented method for determining an intensity of user input to a computer system, performed by the computer system that is programmed to perform the method includes determining by a display, an indication of a finger position a user in response to a change in finger position relative to the computer system, wherein change in fin position is also associated with a magnitude of change, determining by a physical sensor of the computer system, the magnitude of change in response to the change in finger position, determining by the computer system, a user selection of a function to perform in response to the indication of the finger position, determining by the computer system, an input parameter associated with the function in response to the magnitude of change, and initiating performance by the computer system, of the function in response to the input parameter.
1. A computing device comprising:
a display configured to display images to a user and configured to sense a user touch on the display;
a display controller coupled to the display, wherein the display controller is configured to determine a selected location on the display in response to the user touch;
a physical sensor, wherein the physical sensor is configured to sense physical forces acting upon the physical sensor and configured to determine magnitudes of change in physical forces acting upon the physical sensor in response to the user touch, the physical sensor comprising a monolithic MEMS and CMOS integrated circuit device; and
a processor coupled to the display controller and to the physical sensor, wherein the processor is programmed to determine a user-selected function to perform in response to the selected location on the display, and wherein the processor is programmed to initiate execution of the user-selected function in response to the magnitudes of change in physical forces exceeding a threshold value;
wherein the monolithic MEMS and CMOS integrated circuit device comprises:
a first semiconductor substrate having a first surface region;
one or more CMOS integrated circuit devices provided on a CMOS integrated circuit device region overlying the first surface region, the CMOs integrated circuit device region having a CMOS surface region;
a dielectric region overlying the CMOS surface region, the dielectric region having a cavity region provided therein;
a second semiconductor substrate having a second surface region overlying the dielectric region and enclosing the cavity region, the second semiconductor substrate having a spring region overlying a vicinity of the cavity region;
a first piezo resistor device provided within a first portion of the spring region of the second semiconductor substrate;
a second piezo resistor device provided within a second portion of the spring region of the second semiconductor substrate; and
a mass of material coupled to a portion of the spring region of the second semiconductor substrate between the second piezo resistor device and the first piezo resistor device, the mass material being overlying the cavity region and coupled to the spring region to be movable from at least a first position to a second position and to be sensed respectively by either or both the first piezo resistor device and the second piezo resistor device.
2. The computing device of claim 1 wherein the physical sensor is selected from a group consisting of: an integrated MEMS-CMOS magnetic field sensor, an integrated MEMS-CMOS air pressure sensor.
3. The computing device of claim 2 wherein the threshold value comprises a pressure value determined by the computer system in inches of mercury (Hg).
4. The computing device of claim 2 wherein the threshold value comprises a magnetic field value determined by the computer system in gauss (G).
5. The computing device of claim 1 wherein the display comprises a display selected from a group consisting of: a capacitive display, a resistive display.
6. The computing device of claim 1 wherein the processor is programmed to receive the selected location on the display and the magnitudes of change in the physical forces in a manner selected from a group consisting of: substantially simultaneously, serially.
7. The computing device of claim 1 wherein the physical sensor comprises at least a six-axis MEMS device.
8. The computing device of claim 1 wherein the physical sensor comprises at least a ten-axis MEMS device.